Powerhouse Ventures invests Australia’s space infrastructure firm

FORTITUDE VALLEY: Powerhouse Ventures Limited (ASX: PVL) announced a $500,000 investment in Southern Launch Pty Ltd, Australia’s premier spaceport and test range operator, as part of a heavily oversubscribed private funding round. The investment will be transferred into Powerhouse’s newly established Critical Infrastructure Opportunities Fund. 

Southern Launch operates two key facilities in South Australia: the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex, capable of high-cadence polar and sun-synchronous orbit launches, and the Koonibba Test Range, the country’s largest civilian overland testing site for suborbital missions. The company has already facilitated seven launches for four global clients, including a landmark commercial space re-entry by U.S.-based Varda Space Industries in February. 

Powerhouse Ventures, alongside former Macquarie executives and boutique merchant bank Brindabella & Co, backed the funding round. The firm highlighted Southern Launch as a “unique generational asset” poised to capitalize on soaring global demand for space infrastructure. Launch costs have dropped fivefold in the past decade, with annual launches projected to grow from 200 in 2024 to 2,400 by 2030. 

“The macro environment for sovereign space capabilities has never been stronger,” said James Kruger, Executive Chairman of Powerhouse Ventures. He cited geopolitical shifts and regulatory barriers as tailwinds for Southern Launch’s expansion. 

The investment aligns with Powerhouse’s focus on critical infrastructure and follows its 2021 $250,000 stake in satellite firm SkyKraft, now valued at over $900,000.